Vatican City, May 18, 2013 / 09:15 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis spoke today about how gossip by Christians is a “slap” to Jesus “in the person of his children.”

“All three - disinformation, defamation and slander - are sins! This is sin! It is to slap Jesus in the person of his children, his brothers,” the Pope said May 18 in the chapel of St. Martha’s House.

The topic game up in Pope Francis’ homily because of the day’s Gospel reading from John 21 in which Peter asks if John will be alive when Jesus returns to earth.

?“What is it to you?” the pontiff began his homily, referring to Jesus’ response to Peter, who was being tempted “to interfere in the lives of others.”

Peter became “nosy,” Pope Francis remarked, noting that there are two ways people are tempted to get involved in others’ lives. The first is “to compare oneself with others” and the second is to gossip.

“It seems nice to chat,” he reflected, “I do not know why, but it looks nice. Like sweet of honey, right? You take one and then another, and another, and another, and in the end you have a stomach ache. And why? The chatter is like that eh? It is sweet at first and it ruins you, it ruins your soul!”

The Pope then referred back to Genesis, saying that gossip is “‘a little’ like the spirit of Cain who killed his brother, his tongue; it kills his brother!”??The consequence of gossiping is that “we become Christians of good manners and bad habits,” he warned, later repeating the description.

According to Pope Francis, people fail in this area in three ways: by giving “misinformation,” by making known the faults of others, and by telling lies about others.

“That is why Jesus does with us what he did with Peter when he says: ‘What is it to you? Follow me.’ The Lord in this instance points the way,” he said.??

“This kind of talk will not do you any good,” the Pope stated, “because it will just bring to the Church a spirit of destruction. ‘Follow me!’ These are the beautiful words of Jesus, it is so clear, that he has so much love for us. As if to say: ‘Don’t have fantasies, believing that salvation is in the comparisons with others or in gossip. Salvation is to go behind me.’”

Pope Francis finished his homily by saying, “Today we ask the Lord Jesus to give us this grace not to ever get involved in the lives of others, not to become Christians of good manners and bad habits, it is to follow Jesus, to walk behind Jesus on his way. And this is enough.”

I think I should maybe make it clear that my comment was not based off of that reason.
Getting older, I am finding it easier to admit faults and sins, even to be told by hypocrites that I have them. No problem there. It’s rather helpful, whomever God has to do it. I am reminded of the Biblical account of Shimei, the son of Gera, who cursed and cast stones upon king David and his company. I will never forget David’s response. It was the right attitude to have. God can use anyone to correct us, if we need correcting, even a hypocrite.

This may be too purist, yet I get nervous when I think of people talking behind my back saying either good or bad things. I am uneasy when others feel they can judge me - a positive statement about someone else is a judgement in its own way. I try not to discuss other at all, although I fail at this, being human. This is just my perspective.

David's response to Shimei is indeed the best of examples. In this case, Shimei was telling David God's truth. A man, whether he be King, madman, saint, hypocrite, or Pope, who teaches God's truth, is being a good moral teacher.

Today we ask the Lord Jesus to give us this grace not to ever get involved in the lives of others, not to become Christians of good manners and bad habits, it is to follow Jesus, to walk behind Jesus on his way. And this is enough.

Does this mean that you do not accept religious instruction from any pastor, minister, priest, or other person who is closer to the Lord than you are? Or is it just that you do not grant that the Pope might have wisdom and veracity to offer on moral topics?

The country preacher was preaching up a storm, and he noticed that in the first part of his sermon, the old ladies were nodding and murmuring "Amen," but in the last half of the sermon their smiles were slowly replaced by scowls.

So, after the service, he asked one of the ladies how she liked his talk.

"Well," says she, "When you was a-testifying against cussin', fightin', an' drinkin', you was really anointed by the Holy Spirit. That was some g-o-o-o-o-d preachin.' But later on, when you commenced to talkin' against gossip, scoldin', and back-bitin', well, Reverend, we all figgered you done left off preachin' and commenced to meddlin'!"

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